Selectees and chiefs hit the start of the trail just before 6 a.m.
Selectees and chiefs hit the start of the trail just before 6 a.m. |
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| The group met in the base bowling alley parking lot at 1 a.m. The trip to the mountain took about four hours, most of which was occupied with much-missed sleep. We were in our third week of initiation training, and the pace hadn't slacked up a bit. Most of us were thinking, "all this crap we have to do before Initiation Day, and they want us to climb Fuji?!" | A chief adjusts his Camelbak
water pack before heading out.
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We brought along plenty of food and water, most of it donated to us by the commissary and Navy Exchange. We carried what we though we could deal with in our packs and quickly realized that, no matter how much you may love snacks, they are a burden to carry. | |
| The climb uphill started off fairly easy, but got tough in a hurry. | ||